Have you heard your favorite song played multiple times in day? The DJ might be getting extra money from the record company. If this happens it is called payola, is it illegal? For two DJ’s in 1950’s found out how illegal it was. The payola scandal actually began with game shows, it was found that the show “Twenty-one” and “$64,000 question” were rigged, this is what led to the investigation of the practices of radio stations. Many DJ’s made deals with record labels, to ensure their record played a minimum amount of times. The DJ’s made $50 dollars each record, however, some DJ has required a lot more such as alcohol, cars, prostitutes, and profit from concerts. In 1958, the government got involved and with the threat of losing their licenses, radio stations began firing DJ’s who might be a risk. It was found that over 335 DJ’s around the country admitted to receiving over 200 thousand dollars. The trial heated up when the two most popular DJ’s took the stand. Dick Clark and Alan Freed played important roles in the rise of rock and roll. Some say that Freed exemplified the provocative spirit of the music, famous for refusing to play white cover versions of black songs. Both men denied ever accepting payola, but it is hard to imagine that they did not submit to a little temptation. Freed’s alliances deserted him …show more content…
At the hearing, Clark testified that he had an ownership stake in many different record labels, distributors, and manufacturers. Clark admitted to investing in a record company called Jamie Records, when questioned it was found out that it had paid out $15,000 in payola, Clark denied accepting any of that money. Unlike Freed, Clark received a minor punishment the committee chairperson actually called him “a fine young man.” Some say that Clark actually said that what he learned from the Payola trial was to guard your own ass at all
When a person thinks of rock music in the 50s, they usually think of Elvis Presley, “the King of rock and roll”. However, he seems to exhibit a more stereotypical American approach to music. As Americans, we like everything that entertains us to be bigger and better than before. Presley certainly delivers this idea through his outfit,
The book depicts the story of culture conflicts of the music, which arose from the introduction of the foot-tapping, hip-swaying music now known as rock n' roll (Graarrq). The outcome of rock n’ roll coincided with tremendous uproar in the movement to grant civil rights to African American. Trapped in the racial politics of the 1950s, rock n’ roll was credited with and criticized for promoting integration and economic opportunity for blacks while bringing to “mainstream” cloture black styles and values (Altschuler). Black values were looked over and kind of not important to whites. Whites were very much so well treated then blacks were, however no one spoke out until the outcome of rock n’ roll.
Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” In the 1950’s the South was heavily racially segregated. Elvis Presley unintentionally put himself in the position to become a valuable instrument in the battle against segregation. “Without casting himself as a fighter for racial equality, Elvis became a subversive standard bearer for cultural desegregation at a time when the codified racism of the South was under increasing pressure.” How did an uneducated white hillbilly from the south influence both black and white teenagers against segregation? It was quite simple, for Elvis Presley had a unique talent of combining traditional black music; such as the blues and jazz, with the traditional white music; like country and white gospel. This unique style of blending different types of music, gave Elvis the edge on the musical racial barriers America was facing; and open the path for both sides to enjoy the music together and therefore desegregated.
Although the swing music that helped keep American spirits up during the Depression years still existed, there was an increasing amount of racial tension about bands formed by white men vs. bands formed by black men. White bands like Tommy Dorsey’s, which could play a broad spectrum of music, were hailed for their versatility. The black counterparts who sought to do the same were often indirectly accused of trying to get above themselves. This is important because many black musicians where losing work due to venues only hiring bands that were led by white men. Out work, or underpaid black musicians where often bought-out by white bandleaders who could offer them higher pay, and where looking for the best musicians they could find.
In 1958, Jerry Lee Lewis performed two of his hit singles “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless” on the American Bandstand with Dick Clark. With his addition to the rock ‘n roll genre, these songs are classics which listeners have heard for the past several decades. The following analysis of the songs are important to me because my family members enjoy singing them during karaoke nights. In addition, the analysis will highlight important musical characteristics, an explanation of how the music added to the genre of rock ‘n roll, and the important social implications the songs had at the time. Finally, the analysis will provide a personal critical critique of the performance. If you wish to view the video, please click the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4NquCaWIQI
The Payola scandal was characterized as when a producer pays a broadcasting station to play their music. For example, let say you turn on the radio and a popular song is playing, you change the station and listen to a different radio for a while. After a few minutes, you change back to the original radio station you were listening to and the same song is playing. even in today’s. radio playing where often people feel like the radio plays the same five songs over and over. Occurring during the late 1950s, payola was not illegal however, paying commercial broadcasting stations was. It wasn’t until after the trials that payola became a misdemeanor.
The Eron Scandal is thought to be a standout amongst the most famous inside American history. An Eron of occasions is considered by numerous students of history and market analysts alike to have been an informal outline for a contextual investigation on White Collar Crimes. ("Enron Scandal Summary - Finance | Laws.com," n.d.)White Collar Crime is characterized as peaceful, monetarily based criminal action ordinarily attempted inside of a setting in which its members hold propelled training as to business that is thought to be prestigious. ("Enron Scandal Summary - Finance | Laws.com," n.d.) The accompanying occurred amidst the Enron Scandal. Eron had great success in their early years. Though the period regulation inside of a business and corporate
The New Orleans Saints Bounty scandal was widely known as “BountyGate”. This was a scandal in which the Saints organization were accused of paying NFL players bonuses, or “Bounties”, to intentionally injure opposing team's players to gain an advantage. None of the hits or tackles seemed to be illegal or even penalized by an in-game official. the scandal was declared to have been in action from 2009 (the year the Saints won the Super Bowl) to 2012.
Although he later denied that he ever said it, Sam Phillips-the man who discovered Elvis Presley-is reputed to have said, “if I could find a white man who had the Negro sound the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars” (Decurtis 78). Certain radio stations would not play the work of black artists in the segregated America of the 1950s. But, nevertheless, rock ‘n’ roll was an art form created by African-Americans. Little Richard, whose songs “Tutti Fruitti” and “Long Tall Sally” became hits only after white-bread versions were made by Pat Boone, said, “It started out as rhythm and blues” (Decurtis 78).
The development of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the late 1940s and early 1950s by young African Americans coincided with a sensitive time in America. Civil rights movements were under way around the country as African Americans struggles to gain equal treatment and the same access to resources as their white neighbors. As courts began to vote in favor of integration, tensions between whites and blacks escalated. As the catchy rhythm of Rock ‘n’ Roll began to cross racial boundaries many whites began to feel threatened by the music, claiming its role in promoting integration. This became especially problematic as their youth became especially drawn to ...
McPherson, Ian. “The Salt of the Earth: 1955-1960 R&B-Derived Rock & Roll.” Time Is On Our
Rock 'n' roll came from a type of music called rhythm and blues (R&B), which consisted of doo-wop and gospel music. It was popular mostly in the south during the 40’s but it soon grew to urban cities. It was Les Paul’s invention of the electric guitar in 1952 that added a new sound and made rhythm and blues into the rock 'n' roll we all know and love today. Most of the artists from R&B were African American, and in their song they would reference sexual matters. So together it gave a bad connotation towards the music and their race, therefore both were never fully accepted in the north. The term “rock” was slang mostly used by African Americans meaning a form of music that was easily danced to. Meanwhile “roll” was usually a euphemism for sex, such as “a roll in the hay”. It was Alan Freed who first popularized the term “rock and roll” for this gen...
On a trip to Ghana as Ambassador Satchmo, he recognized the struggles the people still faced with slave trading and colonial subjugation and was reminded of the American South’s “vigilante violence against black people.” (Eschen 62). The sympathy that he felt for their struggles inspired him to play “Black and Blue” and the “sense of shared struggle was reciprocated” (Eschen 63). Through “Black and Blue” Armstrong remembered the struggles that the blacks were suffering in the United States just like the people of Ghana. This was a turning point in his life and ultimately led him to work harder at helping his fellow black brethren to obtain their rightful civil privileges. This conversion was illustrated when he cancelled a trip for a Soviet tour in order to help the African American kids in Little Rock. Armstrong accused President Eisenhower of being “‘two-faced” on civil rights and allowing ‘Faubus to run the government.’ ‘It’s getting so bad a colored man hasn’t got any country’” (Eschen 63). In response, Eisenhower sent federal troops to assist with integration. However, the actions of the musician at other times bought forward harsh feelings like “What have you done for your people, except hurt them?” (Meckna 37) He was criticized for wearing leopard skins in a film and using minstrel humor which made him appear as playing into the degrading stereotypes of the time. In a
This case illustrated that there were real consequences to white collar crime. In addition to paying the fifty million dollar fine, he relinquished another fifty million dollars of his illegal trading profits. (He still had millions remaining, however, from his illegal gains.) His actual prison sentence was three years, yet he served only twenty-two months in the federal prison at Lompoc, California, which was known to have a “country-club” atmosphere.
Many white-collar offenders may start off as trustworthy, respected businessmen/women in their workplace. Motivated by greed and power, these highly skilled people will use cunning and deceit to earn what they want from innocent people. Some people are very well known through their illegal white collar activities that are brought to light. After a competitor’s representative met with The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with suspicion about Bernard Madoff, founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment...